TECH A LOOK AT THE FUTURE

Matt Allan gets to grips with an ultra-modern, all-electric saloon

Elon Musk is not a shy man. He’s made no secret of his ambition to be a major global player in the automotive scene and central to this aim is the Tesla Model S.

While the SUV Model X and smaller more mainstream Model 3 are on their way, the S currently sits front and centre of the Tesla offering with its luxury saloon styling and allelectric drivetrain.

While musk’santics are often spectacular and showy, what’s attention-grabbing about the Model S is that it’s not particularly attention-grabbing. There’s no attempt to make an outlandish “look-at-me” vehicle. It has a hatchback tailgate but its overall shape is that of a handsome, classy large saloon. It’s long, low and sleek and from certain angles it could be mistaken for a big Jaguar (no bad thing).

Inside, the feeling of understated class continues – mostly. Switchgear borrowed from Mercedes has the quality look and feel you’d want in a £60k car and that’s echoed in other materials and the general layout and construction. You slip into it and feel instantly comfortable and cosseted.

Less understated is the central touchscreen. The 17-inch portrait screen makes efforts from rival manufacturers look weedy by comparison and acts as the heart of the car. From here you can control everything from the sat nav and stereo to selecting suspension height or activating the dramatic-sounding bio-weapon defence mode (air filtration to you and me).

It’s the technology that Tesla say really sets the Model S apart. It’s packed with the likes of Google Maps-based sat nav, Spotify music streaming, internet radio and a full web browser. Plan a route and the sat nav will factor in charging requirements and not only include charging points into the route but tell you how long to spend at each to have enough charge for your journey.

There’s also Autopilot, which does what it says on the tin. Using an array of cameras, ultrasonic and radar sensors the Model S can adapt its speed to surrounding traffic, maintain lane position, steer round corners and change lane without driver input (apart from a flick of the indicators). It’s a strange feeling the first time you try it but give it a few minutes and you can see why everyone is trying to emulate the self-driving features of the Tesla.

Obviously, central to the Model S’s technological offering is its all-electric drivetrain. The Model S comes in various configurations depending on your requirements and the size of your wallet.

There are four battery options in 60, 75, 90 and 100 kwh capacities. The 60 and 75 come in either single-motor rear-wheel-drive or dualmotor four-wheel-drive configurations. Even the weediest of these manages 0-60mph in 5.5 seconds and offers 248 miles on a single charge. Above them the 90D comes with dual motors as standard and offers a 346-miles range and 0-60mph in 4.2 seconds. At the very top of the range sits the P100D with a claimed 381mile range and 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds.

Yes, this is a comfortable, practical five-seat family saloon that’s as quick as a Lamborghini.

The P90D I drove was a fraction slower but it’s still a bizarre feeling. With a regular supercar your charge towards the horizon is accompanied by a mechanical cacophony letting you and the world know how dramatic your progress is. In the Tesla, there’s just a slight whine as the dual electric motors thrust you forwards at mind-bending speed.

The supercar-like pace isn’t quite matched by supercar like handling and ride - this is, after all, still a comfortable saloon. It certainly doesn’t embarrass itself but feels far more the long-distance cruiser than an out-and-out performance machine.

Also decidedly unsupecarlike is the practicality, with plenty of passenger space and a large boot at either end.

Prices start at £58,900 for a Model S 60, rising to £122,900 for the range-topping P100D. Standard equipment is generous but if you fancy that clever autopilot mode then factor in another £4,800.